Google launches investment programme for Assistant-focused startups

All the Google Home integrations are wrapped up in the existing Explore page, so if you have smart stuff in your house and you'd prefer to control it with your voice rather than your smartphone, it's worth checking what's compatible. "With Amazon and Google vying for spots in both the smart-home and e-commerce spaces, Google's pricing has revitalized the artificial intelligence race to dominate the home".

Google's Assistant smart home voice control unit now connects to a wide range of more than 5,000 smart home devices and appliances.

Google has unveiled a new investment programme created to support early-stage startups that make prominent use of the Google Assistant ecosystem.

The company said it has partnered with Google to enable the internet giant's assistant to offer voice-based information services on smartphones.

The programme will let startups access to the Google Cloud Platform - the suite of cloud computing services that run on the same infrastructure that it uses for products like Google Search and YouTube. By comparison, its chief competitor, Amazon's Alexa, is able to control 4,000 devices from 1,200 manufacturers, a Google spokesperson told VentureBeat.

"Edwin" combines advanced AI technology with the expertise of professional English teachers to tailor lessons according to individual needs, learning style and pace. That figure may jump soon; later this month, DISH Hopper devices will get Google Assistant support, greatly expanding the number of people who can use the AI for TV control.